“Died 22 JAN 1945 (Age 28). Buried Sittard War Cemetery (E.9), Limburg, Netherlands.
Son of Lt. Col. Sir Vivian Beaconsfield Gray KBE. MC and Lady Gray (Nee Broadfooot) of Gezireh, Cairo, Egypt; husband of Betty Marjorie Gray of Plymouth”.
Born: 1916 Kilmacolm, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Married to Betty Marjorie Stork – 2 MAY 1944, Comrie, Perthshire.
Extract from The Lorettonian Magazine
“Major Gray, 7th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), was born on 2nd March, 1916, and at Loretto from September 1924 to July 1934. He was a Prefect, in the VI Form, XV, XI, Hockey, Athletics and Boxing Teams and Fives Couples, and a Sergeant in the O.T.C. From School he went to the R.M. College, Sandhurst, and on passing out was commissioned into the 1st Battalion of the Cameronians (*), with which he served in Palestine and afterwards, in 1942, during the retreat from Rangoon to Assam.
In 1943 he left the Battalion to work at the Headquarters of the 39th Indian Division stationed in Assam, but late in the same year joined the 7th Battalion and trained for several months with the 52nd Mountain Division.
In August 1944 the Division was sent to France, and in October took part in the Walcheren-Antwerp operations.
Major Gray was wounded in November, but returned to the 7th Battalion, then in the neighbourhood of Brussels, early in December. On 21st January 1945, after five days` heavy fighting, the Battalion was engaged in a counter-attack in a small village near Sittard. Word came that a small detachment had been separated from the main body, and Major Gray set out with only a few men to find them. He was hit by mortar fire, and when discovered some hours later died in a field dressing station from loss of blood. He is buried at Sittard.
“I would rather have lost anyone but him.”
“Magnus was loved and respected by all ranks as a good friend, a very gallant soldier, and a great gentleman.”
(*) London Gazette 31 JAN 1938.